HC Deb 18 December 1985 vol 89 c341

6.9 pm

Mr. Denzil Davies (Llanelli)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the future of the Westland helicopter company and the importance of that company to our national defence interests. Since the statement by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on Monday, new facts have emerged and new developments have taken place. I submit that the matter is clearly specific as it relates directly to a company which for many years has supplied military helicopters to the Ministry of Defence and the armed services of the Crown. The matter is important as the success of Westland is crucial, not only to the company's thousands of employees and its shareholders but also for the defence of this country. Its future is now at a substantial risk.

The matter is also urgent, because decisions that could be irreversible and damaging to the national interests are now imminent. I submit that this matter should now take precedence over other business. We have had competing and conflicting statements from two Cabinet Ministers, we are about to go into recess, and it is vital that before doing so the collective voice of this House—even if the Government do not have a collective voice—on such an important matter should now be heard.

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davies) asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the future of the Westland helicopter company and the importance of that company to our national defence interests. I have listened with great care to what the right hon. Gentleman has said, and he knows that my sole duty in considering an application under Standing Order No. 10 is to decide whether it should be given priority over the business already set down for this evening or for tomorrow. I regret that I cannot find that the matter he has raised meets all the criteria laid down under the Standing Order; therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.